Neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and central nervous system injuries, to name a few, afflict millions of people every year and result in a multitude of symptoms including weight change, decreased energy, headaches, digestive problems, chronic pain, paralysis, and in certain instances, death. Neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), affect various neuronal populations involved in neurologic, neuropsychiatric, and metabolic disorders. Neurotrophins like BDNF are natural ligands of tyrosine kinase receptor TrkB. TrkB is activated in hippocampal neurons prior to BDNF expression by norepinephrine, which is a type of catecholamine.